Young Organic Leader of the Year finalists announced

Four young Australians have made it to the final stage, including an authority on protected cropping in glasshouses, a farm manager passionate about teaching at a grassroots level, a fourth-generation producer raising the profile of packaging, and a businesswoman using her personal platforms to reach a younger generation of organic customers.

The awards, hosted by peak industry body Australian Organic Limited, take place on November 25 at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley in Lovedale, NSW.

AOL CEO Niki Ford congratulated the finalists and said it showed the industry was in good hands.

"The achievements of our finalists are remarkable in themselves but to consider what they have done at such a relatively young age makes it something to celebrate," Ms Ford said.

"I very much look forward to the announcement of the winner of this category, and to see all the finalists at our awards ceremony."

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Along with individual honours for Young Organic Leader of the Year, Organic Woman of the Year and Organic Farmer of the Year, awards will be announced for Business of the Year, New Product of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Brand of the Year and the Innovation Award, as well as the inductee to the Hall of Fame and the Chairman's Award recipient.

Finalists in the 2022 Young Organic Leader of the Year award are:

A passionate organic grower, Andrew McIlwain is general manager and agronomy manager for Sydney-based Green Camel Organic Produce, which grows tomatoes, baby cucumbers, raspberries, and barramundi in 2.5ha of commercial glasshouses.

The facility produces more than 1,100,000kg of fresh organic produce from just 2.5ha. Andrew gained his experience in the innovative Sundrop Farms complex at Port Augusta, SA, and was chosen as 2022 Grower of the Year by Protected Cropping Australia.

He has a Master of Science (Agriculture) qualification specialising in Protected Cropping from Western Sydney University.

"Protected cropping has the ability to secure consistent quality and yields year-round by limiting the amount of adverse weather that the crop is exposed to, while embracing the ethos of organic, soil-based growing," Mr McIlwain said.

"The industry needs to embrace innovation to meet rising market demand for organic produce."

Green Camel is now the largest supplier of organic fresh produce into Woolworths by volume.

Brendan has been farming organic vegetables for a decade. As production manager of two farms with the award-winning Good Harvest group on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Brendan is responsible for overseeing production to industry standards.

He is energised by leading regular tours and workshops to teach young, aspiring farmers and the community about how to regenerate the soil and grow healthy crops, as well as educating staff on the farm to motivate them to become potential managers.

"I firmly believe that a community-led approach at a grassroots level is the fundamental way to drive change in the industry, and I mentor a group of local farmers to encourage a greater regenerative mindset," Mr Taylor said.

He has seen production at Good Harvest triple and an increase in the variety of crops grown from 10 lines to 25 different products, with the ultimate goal to provide the community with the most nutrient-dense produce.

Chelsea is an enthusiastic, fourth-generation South Australian farmer who has been involved in the development of the Eldridge Fresh brand and packaging, including promoting the recyclable and home-compostable properties of the packaging.

"Trials have shown that raising the profile of pre-packaged certified organic produce will convert customers who 'dabble' in organic product purchases to become devoted shoppers, and this has seen our market grow by more than 20 per cent in the last quarter," Ms Eldridge said.

"Our biggest opportunity is awareness. More and more people are taking notice of where and how produce is grown and we can notify thousands with just the push of a button, so we need to take advantage of this."

Chelsea is passionate about building trust through education and is regularly involved in industry forums, certification processes and hosting internal employee education and panel discussions, to ensure customers and staff are at the forefront of industry changes.

India's involvement in the organic and wellness industries began with her parents, David Bellamy and Dooley Crighton-Bellamy, who created Bellamy's Organic and would take her as a child to company meetings and organic markets in Tasmania.

India is passionate about the connection between mental health, wellness and nature, and how organic products can support an integrated holistic approach. She co-founded STORM + INDIA with her mother and sister, and the company partners with organic farmers to source certified organic tea, botanicals, and fruit to create pure drinks.

India has created a new plastic-free sustainable packaging with local and global suppliers and uses her own personal platforms to reach a new and younger generation of organically minded citizens.

"I am motivated to constantly innovate and create new products, which means educating myself on functional ingredients, blending, tasting new recipes and engaging with our customers to find out what they really want," Ms Bellamy said.